Poll shows Americans’ opinion of Arabs getting worse

i24news.com

Zogby poll shows only 27% of Americans have a favorable view of Arabs and Muslims, worse than in 2010

Americans' view of Muslims has gotten worse since 2010 a new Zogby poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute reveals.

In 2010, 35% of Americans had a favorable view of Muslims. In the new poll, only 27% of Americans have a favorable view of Muslims. This negative view is most prevalent among Republicans and senior citizens.

A large number of Americans – 42% - support law enforcement using profiling against Arab and Muslim Americans. Despite this, Americans who say they personally know either an Arab or Muslim report having 33% higher more favorable attitudes towards them.

A growing number of Americans said they don't believe in the ability of an Arab or Muslim to perform their duties as Americans in government positions, although this number was lower for people who personally know an individual belonging to each group.

In addition, 57% of Americans reported feeling like they did not know enough about Arab history or the people, while 52% felt the same way about Muslims and Islam.

According to Al Arabiya News, Institute President Jim Zogby said he was most concerned with the poll results is "not just that people don’t like us, but what not liking us translates to." Zogby said that the attitudes towards the community affects their ability to function.

The poll was taken in June and has a margin error of 3 percentage points.

The poll also showed how attitudes change across age, race and political lines. People 65 and older, as well as Republicans, were more likely to support the profiling of Arabs and Muslims. In contrast, only 29% of non-whites favored profiling.

According to the Arab American Institute website, more than 80% of Arab Americans are U.S. citizens. Arab Americans descend from a diverse number of countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen, and Tunisia, among others.